Body supporter

ABSTRACT

A body support assembly in which irregular portions such as bunchy portions and irregular portions are prevented and further curing and holding performance are improved. The body support assembly ( 1 ) comprises a flexible cushion body ( 2 ) covered with a sheet-shaped cover body ( 3 ) impregnated with a curing resin and the cushion body ( 2 ) is made to abut against a user&#39;s body to be deformed in a shape matching the uses body, and then the cover body ( 3 ) is cured to be used. At least an upper edge portion of the cover body ( 3 ) is formed in a thinned edge portion ( 7 ) decreasing in thickness gradually from the cushion body ( 2 ). The thinned edge portion ( 7 ) includes a flange-shaped junction ( 6 ) formed by making a side for covering one surface of the cushion body ( 2 ) and a side for covering the other surface thereof abut against each other in an upper edge portion of the cover body ( 3 ) to be join together.

1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a body support assembly that isused, for example at the time of sitting on seats, chairs or the like,particularly to the one for giving users well-fitting feeling,corresponding to respective body shapes of individual users, and iscapable of keeping shapes that properly fit in the sitting shapes ofindividual users (or body shapes).

2. RELATED ART

[0002] Generally, seats and chairs, such as various types of car seatsarc designed so as to fit in average users, and thus some users feelsomewhat uncomfortable when sitting on them.

[0003] To solve the problem, various types of seat supports (lumbersupports) have been proposed in the past and some of them are put intopractical use.

[0004] The inventor of the present invention has been in pursuit of thepractical usefulness of suchlike seat supports, and once devised acertain seat support which is capable of retaining the shapes fitting inthe sitting shapes of users, and yet is easy to handle with such asimple structure that a flexible cushion body is covered with asheet-shaped cover body impregnated with a curing resin and then it isabutted against a portion of users' bodies, thereby forming the flexiblecushion body into the shapes fitting in the portion of the users' bodies(see Japanese unexamined patent publication No.2001-128803).

[0005] According to the prior art, it is possible to easily form theseat support so as to correspond to the sitting shape (body shape) ofeach us. Besides, as the seat support includes the flexible cushion bodythereinside while the outside cover body is cured to retain its shape,it is not only hard but also appropriately flexible, so thatwell-holding ability as well as sitting comfort can be obtained. Inaddition, as the seat support can be provided by simply covering thesame with the cover body impregnated with the curing resin, thestructure thereof is such a simple one that it can be easily realized.Therefore, the conventional body support assembly was such anepoch-making one that it was suitable for mass-production, enabling theproducts to be provided at low prices.

[0006] As a result of subsequent studies, however, the followingproblems have come to be recognized concerning the above-mentioned priorart. The prior body support assembly is designed so as to have itsdimension slightly larger than user's body portion against which thebody support assembly is abutted, such that the support assembly isabutted against users' hip, waist, back, neck or the like and then thecushion member is deformed so as to correspond thereto, to therebyobtain extremely good supporting effect. However, a body pressure israrely applied uniformly to a whole surface of the support assembly andthe cover body 3 is attached to the cushion body 2 in a manner that iswound around the cushion body 2 so that the cushion body 2 is enfoldedas illustrated in FIG. 19. Accordingly, when the cushion body 2 ispressed and compressed, a post-curing shape of a free-end edge of thesupport assembly 1 is hardly regulated by the body pressure, add thus,an irregular portion. A such as a boss or a corrugated irregular portionis apt to be produced on an edge, particularly on an upper edge of thecover body 3 that makes up the contour of the body support assembly 1.It has been found out that in some cases where the cover body 3 is curedin the above-mentioned irregular state, the irregular portion A abutsagainst user's waist, back or the like to give him an uncomfortablefeeling, thus impairing the advantage of the body support assembly 1.

[0007] Since a body support assembly is normally used for supporting abackside of a users body such as his/her buttock, waist, back or thelike, the product value thereof should be able to be increased furtherif it is possible to provide such a body support assembly that givesuser a sitting comfort during the use without causing a sense ofdiscomfort on a portion where it is abutted against the user's backside.It has also been found out that as a body support assembly is basicallylong sideways and approximately rectangular, the corners thereofsometimes become a hindrance, depending on its usage. In other words,when the body support assembly is used for a car, for example, a seatbelt is crossed slantwise from the user's shoulder; in that case, theuser sometimes has difficulties fastening the seat belt due to the seatbelt happening to be caught in a corner of the seat belt. If thisproblem can be solved, then it would be possible to provide a moreuser-friendly body support assembly, and thus it is more desirable.

[0008] The present invention has been made in view of theabove-mentioned problem. It is, therefore, an object of the presentinvention to provide a body support assembly in which theabove-mentioned irregular portion such as boss or corrugated irregularportion produced in the edge of the body support assembly is restainedby a simple men, thus improving post-curing holding performance.Particularly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a bodysupport assembly suitable for use in a car seat or the like where a seatbelt is used.

SUMMAY OF THE INVENTION

[0009] To achieve the above object, there is provided a body supportassembly comprising a flexible cushion body covered with a sheet-shapedcover body impregnated with a curing resin, the cushion body beingabutted against a portion of a user's body to deform the same into ashape matching the portion of the user's body, and then the cover bodybeing cured, wherein a thinned edge portion is formed at least in anedge at one side of the cover body.

[0010] According to the above structure, if, for example, the bodysupport assembly is set between a user's body and a specific portion ofa seat against which the user's buttock, waist, back, neck or the likeabuts, i.e., a position where holding performance of a seat is required,and then the user presses to deform the body support assembly whilesitting, it follows that the sheet-shaped cover body impregnated withthe curing resin is cured to take the thus pressed and deformed shape,so that a shape matching a specific sitting shape peculiar to individualuser is kept. At this moment, since the thinned edge portion decreasingits thickness gradually from the cushion body is formed in at least oneedge at one side of the cover body, e.g., in an upper side thereof, theedge of the cover body that is to become a free end is smoothly deformedand cured even though the cushion body is pressed and deformed. As aresult, no irregular portion is produced in the cover body with theinside of the cover body being filled with the flexible cushion body,and thus the body support assembly can combine proper hardness andappropriate flexibility, thus reducing uncomfortable feeling whilerealizing in turn favorable holding performance as well as sittingcomfort.

[0011] Further, according to the body support assembly of the presentinvention, the thinned edge portion includes a flange-shaped junctionformed by joining one side face of the cover body for covering onesurface of the cushion body and the other side face thereof for coveringthe other surface of the cushion body, to each other in one side of theedge portion of the cover body. Consequently, there can be simply formedthe thinned edge portion where distances between the upper and the lowersides thereof are gradually narrowed toward an end of the flange-shapedjunction.

[0012] Furthermore, according to the body support assembly of thepresent invention, the thinned edge portion is formed at least in oneside of the body support assembly in a vertical direction thereof. Thisis due to the fact that as irregular portions such as boss or corrugatedirregularity are liable to be formed in the upper or lower side of thecover body of the body support assembly, the thinned edge portion isformed at least at one side in the vertical direction of the bonysupport assembly, thus enabling the irregular portions to be effectivelyprevented from being formed.

[0013] Moreover, according to the body support assembly of the presentinvention the cushion body is covered with one sheet of the cover bodyin a manner enfolded or wrapped from one side of the cushion body andthus the thinned edge portion is formed by joining both ends of theone-sheet cover body to form such flange-shaped one. Accordingly, it ispossible to form the thinned edge portion in one end of the cover bodyby a simple process so that the thickness of the thinned edge portion isgetting gradually smaller than that of the cushion body.

[0014] Besides, according to another aspect of the body support assemblyof the preset invention, the cushion body is covered with two-sheetcover bodies, one cover body covering one surface of the cushion bodyand the other cover body covering the other surface thereof, and thusthe thinned edge portions are formed by joining both opposite ends ofthe two-sheet cover bodies to form the flange-shaped one on both sides.Accordingly, it is possible to form the thinned edge portion in bothends of the cover bodies by a simple process so that the thickness ofeach thinned edge portion is getting gradually smaller than that of thecushion body.

[0015] Further, the body support assembly according to the presentinvention includes the flange-shaped junction formed by joining the endsof the cover body by clipping means. Accordingly, the thinned edgepotion can be simply formed by fixedly clipping the one side end of thecover body abutted against the other side end thereto, by means ofstaplers, sewing, pins, clamping foe or the like.

[0016] To attain the above objects, there is also provided a bodysupport assembly in which the flexible cushion body is covered with thesheet-shaped cover body impregnated with the curing resin, which isabutted against the portion of the users body to be deformed into theshape matching the portion of the user's body, and then curing the coverbody to be used as a body support, wherein the thinned edge portion isformed at least in one edge at one side of the sheet-shaped cover bodyand then both ends of the sheet-shaped cover body are overlapped to forman overlapped portion, so that both ends are joined to each other. Theoverlapped portion thus made is arranged on one surface of the cushionbody.

[0017] According to the above structure, if, for example, the bodysupport assembly is set between a user's body and a specific portion ofa seat against which the user's buttock, waist, back, neck or the likeabuts, i.e., a position where holding performance of a seat is required,and then the user presses to deform the body support assembly whilesitting, it follows that the sheet-shaped cover body impregnated withthe curing resin is cured to take the thus pressed and deformed shape,so that a shape matching a specific sitting shape peculiar to individualuser is kept. At this moment, since the thinned edge portion decreasingits thickness gradually from the cushion body is formed in at least oneedge at one side of the cover body, e.g., in an upper side thereof, theedge of the cover body that is to become a fee end is smoothly deformedand cured even though the cushion body is pressed and deformed. As aresult, no irregular portion is produced in the cover body with theinside of the cover body being filled with the flexible cushion body,and thus the body support assembly can combine proper hardness andappropriate flexibility, thus reducing uncomfortable feeling whilerealizing in turn favorable holding performance as well as sittingcomfort.

[0018] Further, although the fact that the cushion body is thinned bypressing and deforming elicits the thick junction of the cover body, theoverlapped portion of the sheet-shaped cover body is arranged on onesurface of the cushion body, and therefore the body support assembly isable to be arranged so that the overlapped portion may be at an oppositeside to the user's back, thus enabling the uncomfortable feeling causedby the overlapped portion of the sheet-shaped cover body to besubstantially reduced.

[0019] Furthermore, according to a body support assembly of the presentinvention, the flexible cushion body is covered with the sheet-shapedcover body impregnated with the curing resin which is abutted againstthe portion of the user's body to be deformed into the shape matchingthe portion of the user's body, and then curing the cover body to beused as a body support, wherein the cushion body has such a shape thatat least one corner of a nearly rectangular parallelepiped body is cutwith respect to a rectangular plane.

[0020] According to the above structure, if, for example, the bodysupport assembly is set between a user's body and a specific portion ofa seat against which the user's buttock, waist, back, neck or the likeabuts, i.e., a position where holding performance of a seat is required,an then the user presses to deform the body support assembly whilesitting, it follows that the sheet-shaped cover body impregnated withthe curing resin is cured to take the thus pressed and deformed shape,so that a shape matching a specific sitting shape peculiar to individualuser is kept. At this moment, the seat belt is prevented from beingcaught in the corner when it is crossed slantwise, by setting the bodysupport assembly so that the cut corner thereof may be positioned in aposition to hook the seat belt,

[0021] Also, a body support assembly according to a further aspect ofthe invention includes the cushion body that is shaped by cutting fourcorners of a nearly rectangular parallelepiped body. Consequently, asetting direction of de body support assembly does not need to beconsidered with respect to a proper position to hook the seat belt andthus convenience in use is improved.

[0022] Further, in the body support assembly according to the presentinvention, the sheet-shaped cover body may be cut corresponding to thecut corners of the cushion body. Hence, the sheet-shaped cover body isfree from redundant portions at the cut corners, so that the seat beltis not caught therein when the scat belt is slantwise put on.

[0023] Furthermore, in the body support assembly according to thepresent invention, both ends of the sheet-shaped cover body may beoverlapped to form the overlapped portion, in order that both the endsmay be joined thereby. The overlapped portion may be arranged at oneside of the cushion body, so that uncomfortable feeling caused by theoverlapped portion is considerably reduced by arranging the overlappedportion at an opposite side to the user's back, when the cushion body iscompressed and deformed. Particularly, the overlapped portion may bepositioned in the center of one surface of the cushion body, so thatuncomfortable feeling is further reduced.

[0024] Moreover, in the body support assembly according to the presentinvention, the thinned edge portion may be formed at least in an edge atone side of the cushion body of the sheet-shaped cover body. Hence, theedge of the cover body that is a free end is smoothly deformed to becured even if the cushion body is compressed and deformed. As a result,no irregular portion is produced in the cover body with the inside ofthe cover body being fined with the flexible cushion body, and thus thebody support assembly can combine proper hardness and appropriateflexibility, thus reducing uncomfortable feeling while realizing in turnfavorable holding performance as well as sitting comfort.

[0025] Still further, a body support assembly according to the presentinvention, may include through-holes formed in nearly the center portionof the cushion body. Consequently, the center portion easily dents, sothat comfortableness in use is improved.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026]FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway and perspective view showing a firstembodiment of the present invention.

[0027]FIG. 2 is a vertical section of the body support assembly of thefirst embodiment.

[0028]FIG. 3 is a side view showing the body support assembly in use ofthe first embodiment.

[0029]FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the body support assembly inuse of the same.

[0030]FIG. 5 is a transverse cross-sectional view showing the bodysupport assembly in use of the same.

[0031]FIG. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken on A-A line ofFIG. 5 showing the body support assembly in use of the same.

[0032]FIG. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the body supportassembly of a second embodiment of the present invention.

[0033]FIG. 8 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the body supportassembly of a third embodiment of the present invention.

[0034]FIG. 9 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the body supportassembly of a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

[0035]FIG. 10 is a partially cutaway and perspective view a showing afifth embodiment of the present invention.

[0036]FIG. 11 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the bodysupport assembly of the fifth embodiment

[0037]FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing the body support assembly inuse of the same.

[0038]FIG. 13 is a side view showing the body support assembly in use ofthe same.

[0039]FIG. 14 is a transverse cross-sectional view showing the bodysupport assembly in use of the same;

[0040]FIG. 15 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken on A-A line ofFIG. 14 showing the body support assembly in use of the same.

[0041]FIG. 16 is a plan view showing the body support assembly of asixth embodiment of the present invention.

[0042]FIG. 17 is a perspective view showing the body support assembly ofthe sixth embodiment.

[0043]FIG. 18 is a perspective view showing the body support assembly inuse of the same.

[0044]FIG. 19 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a conventionalbody support assembly in use.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0045] Hereunder is a detailed description of a body support assemblyaccording to a first embodiment of the present invention with referenceto FIG. 1 to FIG. 6.

[0046] The body support assembly 1 of the present invention comprises aflexible cushion-body 2 covered with a sheet-shaped cover body 3impregnated with a curing resin as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. Thecushion body 2 is covered with the cover body 3 in a manner that isenfolded from one side thereof. One end 3A for covering one side of thecushion body 2 is abutted against an other end 3B for covering the otherside of the cushion body 2 so as to be joined together with both theends clipped by staples 5 of a stapler as a clipping means, via a tape 4as an intermediate element, so that a flange-shaped junction 6 isformed. This flange-shaped junction 6 forms a thinned edge portion 7 ofwhich the thickness gradually decreases from an edge at one side of thecushion body 2. The cushion body 2 is formed slightly larger than auser's specific body portion to which the body support assembly isfitted such that the cushion body 2 can hold the user's specific bodyportion in a manner enfolding from both the left and right sides thereofto thereby enable an extremely comfortable supporting effect to beobtained. In this embodiment, the cover body 3 can cover approximate thewhole portion of the cushion body.

[0047] In the above-described body support assembly 1, the cushion bodycomprises a horizontally long, block-shaped foamed material which hasboth flexibility (resiliency) and air permeability, such as spongeserving as a flexible material. Specifically, in this embodiment, it ispreferable to use polyurethane foam which is either mixed with a flameretardant material or subjected to post treatment to impart flameresistance (low flammability) in order to provide the cushion bodyexcellent in both flame resistance and fitting comfort. The cushion body2 is formed slightly larger than a user's specific body portion to whichthe body support assembly is fitted such that the cushion body 2 canhold the user's specific body portion in an enfolding manner to therebyenable an extremely comfortable supporting effect to be obtained.

[0048] The cover body 3 comprises a cloth material impregnated with acuring resin. Specifically, polyester cloth or cotton cloth may beemployed as the cloth material to cover approximately the whole portionof the cushion body 2 from one side thereof as described above. For thecuring resin for impregnating the cover body 3 therewith, it ispreferable to use a moisture curing resin having such a property thatcuring occurs in a short time by adding or being exposed to moisture,such as moisture curing urethane, or otherwise by adding catalyticsolution thereto. Alternatively, for a resin that meets theabove-mentioned requirements and is one of the most suitable ones forthe cover body 3 of the present embodiment, casting products (so-calledSEANE, etc.) made by 3M HEALTH CARE Ltd. may be used as commerciallyavailable products. The casting products have a property that it iscured strongly and firmly in a short period of time (3 to 5 minutes)when immersed in water. Moreover, for this kind of the curing resin, acatalyst curing resin, for example, may be used, which has such aproperty that curing occurs in a short time by adding (spraying) acatalyst solution to a base resin. Although resins with other propertiesmay also be used, it is desirable to use a resin of a type that is notcured without some kind of a trigger, such as that of the presentembodiment, since it ensures that no curing occurs under a normalcondition, thus providing a convenience in terms of transfer anddistribution as well as a timely forming of the body support assembly 1.

[0049] The body support assembly 1 of the present invention is housedhermetically in a moisture-proof bag not shown. Consequently, as thecover body 3 is not exposed to moisture in this state, curing can bereliably prevented, while the cover body 3 is cured rapidly by exposureto moisture in such ways as by opening the moisture proof bag to addwater to the cover body, allowing the cover body to contain moisture orso by spraying the catalyst solution thereto.

[0050] As mentioned above, the body support assembly 1 of the presentembodiment is arranged in a retaining portion 13 provided in a sheetcover 12 that is attached to cover a sheet 11 of a car or the like asshown in FIGS. 3 and 4. In more detail, the body support assembly 1 isprovided in a backrest cover 12A that is attached to cover a backrest11A of the sheet 11. A bag, serving as the aforesaid retaining portion13 capable of housing the body support assembly 1 of the presentembodiment from is formed on an inside surface of a middle of a frontportion of the backrest cover 1A, said bag having an opening on a side.In other words, the present embodiment illustrates the use of the bodysupport assembly 1 as a support for the user's waist. An opening andclosing means such as a fastener (not shown) is provided on a side faceof the backrest cover 12A, so that the body support assembly 1 can beattached or detached by opening or closing the side opening of theretaining portion 13 through the opening or closing of the fastener.Consequently, when the fastener is closed, the body support assembly 1becomes apparently invisible, and therefore the appearance of the sheet11 in this retained (attached) state is kept extremely favorable one. Inthe meantime, reference numeral 14 designates a headrest.

[0051] Next is a description as to how the foregoing structure works.First, the body support assembly 1 is taken out of the moisture-proofbag (not shown). After immersing the body support assembly 1 in water oradding water to the cover body 3., excessive water is wiped up. Thus,the curing resin with which the cover body 3 is impregnated begins to becured. Then, the fastener of the seat cover 12 (the backrest cover 12A)that is attached to cover the backrest 11A of the sheet 11 is opened andthen the body support assembly 1 of the present embodiment, which islong sideways and in an erect posture, is inserted into the retainingportion 13 to be held thereby, with the thinned edge portion 7 beingpositioned upward, and then the fastener is closed.

[0052] Subsequently, when the user U presses and deforms the bodysuppose assembly 1 while sitting, the cover body 3 is solidified in ashort period of time (three to five minutes) to retain a resultant shapethus pressed and deformed, so that the cushion body 2 is kept to suchdeformed shape owing to the solidified layer (the cover body 3). At thattime, as the body support assembly 1 is designed so as to be wider thanthe user U's corresponding body, the cushion body 2 is largelycompressed in its center portion as shown in FIG. 5, thus holding theusers body so as to enfold the user's body from left and right sides. Atthis moment, irregular portions such as bunchy portions and corrugateduneven portions are prone to be produced in an upper edge portion of thecover body 3 in association with the compression of the cushion body 2.According to the present invention, however, the thinned edge portion 7is formed in an upper portion of the body support assembly 1, thusleading to the smooth deformation of the cover body 3 in the upper edgeportion as shown in FIG. 6, so that such irregular portions are hardlyproduced.

[0053] As discussed above, the body support assembly of the presentinvention is advantageous in that it enable the same to be formed to anindividual user's own sitting shape in a short time and quite simply andat the same time that a portion of the body support assembly whichcontacts the seat 11 also is deformed smoothly to a shape matching thatof the seat 11 and then it is solidified, so that the body supportassembly 1 can be mounted on the seat 11 in such a state thatdisplacement thereof is unlikely to occur. Further, the fillings of thebody support assembly 1 are the flexible and air-permeable cushion body2 when the cover body 3 is cured to keep its shape, so that not onlyhardness but appropriate flexibility can be obtained, while itsair-permeability prevents the user's body from getting stuffy despitethe use thereof for a long time, thus providing favorable holdingperformance and comfortable sitting feeling.

[0054] Since the body support assembly 1 in the present embodiment canbe made up only by covering the block-shaped foam material (the cushionbody 2) with the cover body 3 impregnated with the curing resin, thestructure can be easily designed to be able to be realized, enablingproducts with excellent mass productivity to be provided at low cost.Further, since the sheet-shaped cover body 3 comprises the polyestercloth or cotton cloth impregnated with the curing resin, theimpregnation with the curing resin is easy to carry out, enabling thesheet-shaped cover body 3 to be simply manufactured.

[0055] In the conventional arts, efforts have heretofore been made toobtain a body support assembly by impregnating a foam body with a curingresin, said foam body having pores communicating with one another.According to the conventional structure, however, a curing resin fillingmachine is absolutely required to rill the foam body with the curingresin. According to the body support assembly 1 of the presentembodiment, however, the cover body 3 is impregnated with the curingresin, a and thus the curing of the cover body 3 can be easily realizedby utilizing the existing material and the existing equipment. Besides,the body support assembly 1 exhibiting the above-mentioned efficacy canbe manufactured simply by covering the cushion body 2 such as sponge orthe like with the cover body 3, so that there can be provided the bodysupport assembly 1 at low cost, having excellent mass productivity andsimple structure.

[0056] Moreover, since the body support assembly 1 is housedhermetically in the moisture-proof bag, the curing of the cover body 3can be prevented reliably unless it is taken out of the moisture-proofbag. Accordingly, it is excellent in respect of transports distributionand storage, leading to the extreme easiness to handle the same.

[0057] As is discussed above, the body support assembly 1 of the presentembodiment is used by covering the flexible cushion body 2 with thesheet-shaped cover body 3 impregnated with the curing resin, abuttingthe same against a portion of the user's body to deform the flexiblecushion body to a shape matching the user's portion, and then curing thecover body 3, in which the thinned edge portion 7 is formed at least inthe upper edge portion of the cover body 3. Accordingly, 1 for example,the body support assembly 1 is set between the user U's body and aspecific portion of the seat against which the user's waist or the likeabuts, i.e., a position where holding performance of the seat isrequired, and then the user presses to deform the body support assembly1 while sitting, it follows that the sheet-shaped cover body impregnatedwith the curing resin is cured to take the thus pressed and deformedshape, so that a shape matching the specific sitting shape peculiar tothe user U is kept. At this moment, since the thinned edge portion 7decreasing its thickness gradually from the cushion body 2 is formed inthe upper edge of the cover body 3, the edge of the cover body 3 that isto become a free end is smoothly deformed and cured even though thecushion body 2 is pressed and deformed. As a result, irregular portionsare unlikely to be produced in the cover body 3, and thus the bodysupport assembly 1 can be free from uncomfortable feeling when it is inuse. Further, as the cover body 3 is filled with the flexible cushionbody 2, the body support assembly 1 can combine proper hardness andappropriate flexibility, thus reducing uncomfortable feeling whilerealizing in turn favorable holding performance as well as sittingcomfort.

[0058] Furthermore, as the thinned edge portion 7 includes theflange-shaped junction 6 formed by joining one side face of the coverbody 3 for covering one surface of the cushion body 2 and the other sideface thereof for covering the other surface of the cushion body 2, toeach other, there can be simply formed the thinned edge portion 7 wheredistances between the upper and the lower sides thereof are graduallynarrowed toward an and of the flange-shaped junction 6.

[0059] Specifically, according to the present embodiment, the thinnededge portion 7 is formed in the upper side of the body support assembly1. This is due to the fact that irregular portions such as boss orcorrugated irregularity are liable to be formed in the upper side of thecover body 3 of the body support assembly 1. Thus, the thinned edgeportion 7 is formed in the upper side of the body support assembly 1, tothereby effectively prevent the irregular portions from being formed.

[0060] Moreover, as the cushion body 2 is covered with the cover body 3in a mar wrapped from the upper side, while the thinned edge portion 7is formed by joining both ends of the one-sheet cover body 3 to formsuch flange-shaped one, it is possible to form the thinned edge portion7 in the upper edge of the cover body 3 by a simple process so that thethickness of the thinned edge portion 7 may be getting gradually smallerthan that of the cushion body 2.

[0061] Still also, as the flange-shaped junction 6 is formed by joiningthe ends of the cover body 3 by the clipping means or staples 5 of astapler, and thus the thinned edge potion 7 can be simply formed byfixedly clipping the upper ends of the cover body 3 abutted against eachother in a flange-like manner.

[0062] It should be noted that since the elasticity of the cushion body2 is Impaired so at the time of the pressing and deforming of thecushion body 2, there is a likelihood that the fixedly clipped portionof the cover body 3 protrudes toward the direction defined by thethickness of the cushion body 2 to become an obstacle to sittingcomfort, when the cover body 3 is clipped fixedly in a portion of thecushion body 2. According to the present embodiment, however, as theends of the cover body 3 are clipped fixedly in its upper edge portion,the flange-shaped junction 6 does not protrude from the cushion body 2,which also makes contributions to the prevention of the sittingdiscomfort. Further, while the cover body 3 is clipped fixedly bystaples 5 using the stapler, the tape 4 is intervened and therefore aresin component of the cover body 3 is able to be prevented fromattaching to the staplers, so that workability in sequentially clippingthe ends of the cover body 3 fixedly is not impaired.

[0063] Next is a description of a second embodiment of the presentinvention with reference to FIG. 7. The body support assembly 1 of thesecond embodiment has basically the same structure as the firstembodiment described above and therefore the same reference symbols areused for parts the same as in the first embodiment and detaileddescription thereof. Is omitted.

[0064] The body support assembly 1 of the present embodiment comprisesthe flexible cushion body 2 whose opposite side faces are covered with afirst cover body 31 and a second cover body 32 which are impregnatedwith a curing resin, respectively. An upper end 31A of one side face forcovering one side face of the cushion body 2 and an other upper end 32Aof the other side face for covering the other side face thereof areabutted to each other to be clipped by the staples 5 serving as aclipping means via the tape 4 serving as an intermediate element, sothat the both ends are joined to each other. Likewise, a lower end 31Bof one side face for covering one side face of the cushion body 2 and another lower end 32B of the other side face for covering the other sideface thereof are abutted to each other to be clipped by the staplers 5as a clipping means via the tape 4 as an intermediate element, so thatthe both ends are joined to each other. Thus, the flange-shapedjunctions 6, 6A are formed at upper and lower ends of the cushion body 2respectively, thus enabling the thinned edge portions 7, 7A decreasinggradually in thickness to be formed in the upper and lower edges of thecushion body 2, respectively.

[0065] As is apparent from the above, the opposite side fares of thecushion body 2 are covered with the cover bodies 31, 32 respectively tojoin the opposite side ends 31A and 32A as well as the other oppositeside ends 31B, 32B respectively so as to form the respective flangejunctions, so that the thinned edge portions 7, 7A may be formed at bothends. By adopting such structure, the tinned edge portions 7, 7Adecreasing in thickness gradually from the cushion body 2 can be formedin both side edges of the cover body 3 through a simple process.

[0066] Referring now to FIGS. 8 and 9, there are illustrated third andfourth embodiments of the invention. As shown in FIG. 8, theflange-shaped junction 6 may be attached in a sandwiched manner using aclamping fixture 21, which may be removed after the cover body 3 issolidified to be adhered at its ends. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 9,the flange-shaped junction 6 may be attached in a sandwiched mannerusing a pinch 22, which may be removed after the cover body issolidified to be adhered at its ends, in the same-manner. Further, othermoans such as sewing or pinning may be used. Still alternatively, thecover body 3 may be formed in an annular shape beforehand so that edgesthereof may be clipped fixedly, thus forming the flange-shaped junction6.

[0067] Next is a description of a fifth embodiment of the invention withreference to FIG. 10 through FIG. 15. The body support assembly 1 of thefifth embodiment has substantially the same structure as the firstembodiment described above and therefore the same reference symbols areused for parts the same as in the first embodiment and detaileddescription thereof is omitted.

[0068] As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the body support assembly 1 of thepresent embodiment comprises the flexible cushion body 2 covered withthe sheet-shaped cover body 3 impregnated with the curing resin. Thecushion body 2 is covered with the cover body 3 in a manner wrapped fromits upper side. Specifically in this embodiment, both ends of thecushion body 2 are overlapped in nearly the middle of a lower surface ofthe cushion body 2 to form a striated overlapped portion S in thevertical direction to thereby be joined to each other there. In thecover body 3, the end 3A of a front side (one side) covering the uppersurface of the cushion body 2 and the opposite end 3B of the front sidecovering the lower surface of the cushion body 2 are abutted againsteach other to form the flange-shaped junction 6 by clipping both theends using staples 5 serving as a clipping means via the tape 4 servingas an intermediate element to thereby join both the ends. The thinnededge portion 7 decreasing in thickness from one side edge of the cushionbody 2 is formed by the flange-shaped junction 6. In the presentembodiment, the cover body 3 can cover substantially the whole of thecushion body 2 by one sheet. The upper and lower sides of the cushionbody 2 also are joined in the other side end of the cushion body 2 ofthe cover body 3, which is, however, not shown herein. However, nospecific limitations shall be put on the joining method, and thus anyoptional joining method may be chosen, such as overlapping both sides byfolding or forming the flange-shaped junction 6 for joining both sides,in the same manner as at the front side.

[0069] Next is a description as to how the foregoing structure works.First, the body support assembly 1 is taken out of the moisture-proofbag (not shown). After immersing the body support assembly 1 in water oradding water to the cover body 3, excessive water is wiped up. Thus, thecuring resin with which the cover body 3 is impregnated begins to becured. Then, the fastener of the seat cover 12 (the backrest cover 12A)that is attached to cover the backrest 11A of the sheet 11 is opened andthen the body support assembly 1 of the present embodiment, which islong sideways and in an erect posture, is inserted into the retainingportion 13 to be held thereby, with the thinned edge portion 7 beingpositioned upward and the overlapped portion S being positionedrearward, and then the fastener is closed. As a result, the body supportassembly 1 is arranged in an erect posture in nearly the center of theseat 11.

[0070] Subsequently, when the user U presses and deforms the bodysupport assembly 1 while sitting, the cover body 3 is solidified in ashort period of time (three to five minutes) to retain a resultant shapethus pressed and deformed, so that the cushion body 2 is kept to suchdeformed shape owing to the solidified layer (the cover body 3). At thattime, as the body support assembly 1 is designed so as to be wider thanthe user U's corresponding body portion, the cushion body 2 is largelycompressed in its center portion as shown in FIG. 14, thus holding theuser's body so as to enfold the users body from left and right sides. Atthis moment, irregular portions such as bunchy portions and corrugatedirregular portions are prone to be produced in an upper edge portion ofthe cover body 3 in association with the compression of the cushion body2. According to the present invention, however, the thinned edge portion7 is formed in an upper portion of the body support assembly 1, thusleading to the smooth deformation of the cover body 3 in the upper edgeportion as shown in FIG. 15, so that such irregular portions are hardlyproduced. Further, whilst the overlapped portion S is relatively so hardthat it is apt to cause discomfort due to the cured cover body 3 beingoverlapped there, such discomfort is drastically reduced in the presentembodiment, because the overlapped portion S is positioned rearward.Furthermore, as the overlapped portion S is arranged in an erect posturein nearly the center of the seat 11, such discomfort is reduced furtheras the overlapped portion S is substantially aligned with the user'sspine.

[0071] As discussed above, the body support assembly 1 of the presentembodiment comprises the flexible cushion body 2 covered with thesheet-shaped cover body 3 impregnated with the curing resin, which isabutted against the portion of the user's body to be deformed to theshape matching the portion of the users body, and then curing the coverbody 3 to be used as a body support, wherein the thinned edge portion 7is formed at least in one edge at one side of the sheet-shaped coverbody 3 while both ends of the sheet-shaped cover body 3 are overlappedto form the overlapped portion S, said overlapped portion S beingarranged in nearly the middle of a rear surface of the cushion body 2opposing to the seat 11. Thus, it for example, the body support assembly1 is set in the retaining portion 13 between the user's body and aspecific portion of the seat 11 against which the user's waist or thelike abuts, i.e., a position where holding performance of the seat isrequired, and then the user presses to deform the body support assembly1 while sitting, it follows that the sheet-shaped cover body 3impregnated with the curing resin is cured to take the thus pressed anddeformed shape, so that a shape matching a specific sitting shapepeculiar to individual user U is kept. At this moment, since the tinnededge portion 7 decreasing its thickness gradually from the cushion body2 is formed in one edge at one side of the cover body 3, the edge of thecover body 3 that is to become a free end is smoothly deformed and curedeven though the cushion body 2 is pressed and deformed.

[0072] Further, although the fact that the cushion body 2 is thinned bypressing and deforming elicits the thick junction S of the cover body 3,the overlapped portion S of the sheet-shaped cover body 3 is arranged atan opposite side relative to the back side of the seat 11, thus enablingthe uncomfortable feeling caused by the overlapped portion S of thesheet-shaped cover body 3 to be substantially reduced.

[0073] Specifically, by arranging the overlapped portion S in nearly thecenter portion, the overlapped portion S touches the center portion ofthe user's back, so that the uncomfortable feeling can be reducedfurther. As a result, the body support assembly 1 is free from theirregular portions caused by the cover body 3, combining proper hardnessand appropriate flexibility, thus reducing uncomfortable feeling whilerealizing in turn favorable holding performance as well as sittingcomfort.

[0074] Furthermore, the cushion body 2 is covered with the cover body 3in a manner enfolded from the upper side while the overlapped portion Sis formed in nearly the center of the lower surface of the cushion body2 and the thinned edge portion 7 is formed by joining both ends of theone-sheet cover body 3 so as to form the flange-shaped junction, so thatsuch simple process makes it possible to manufacture the body supportassembly with the thinned edge portion 7 gradually decreasing inthickness from the cushion body 2 being formed in the upper edge of thecover body 3. Moreover, since the flange-shaped junction 6 is providedby joining the ends of the cover body 3 abutted against each other bythe staplers 5 serving as a clipping means, the thinned edge portion 7can be formed simply by fixedly clipping the upper ends of the coverbody 3 abutted to each other in a flange-like manner.

[0075] Next is a description of a sixth embodiment with reference toFIG. 16 through FIG. 18. A body support assembly 1A of the sixthembodiment has substantially the same structure as the fifth embodimentdescribed above and therefore the same reference symbols are used forparts the same as in the fifth embodiment and the detailed descriptionthereof is omitted.

[0076] The body support assembly 1A of the present embodiment comprisesa flexible cushion body 2A covered with the sheet-shaped cover body 3impregnated with the curing resin. The cushion body 2A is formed to ashape obtained by cutting slantwise and linearly four corners of anearly rectangular parallelepiped foam body to form cut corner portion51, respectively while two nearly oval through-holes 52 are verticallyarranged in nearly the central portion with respect to the widthdirection of the cushion body 2A. The cushion body 2A is covered withthe cover body 3 so as to be enfolded from an upper side thereof.Although not shown, both ends of the cover body 3 are, like theforegoing third embodiment am joined together, by being overlapped inits lower side, specifically in nearly the center of the lower side, toform the striated overlapped portion extending vertically so as tosubstantially correspond to the through-holes 52. The cover body 3 iscut with a slight margin corresponding to the cut corner portions 51 ofthe cushion body 2A. In six side edges except for left and right sideedges of the cushion body 2A, i.e., in the upper and lower end portions31A, 31B and the four cut corner portions 51, the upper and lowersurfaces of the cover body 3 are abutted against each other to be joinedby clipping the end portions by staples (not shown) using a staplerserving as a clipping means via a tape (not shown) or the like servingas an intermediate element, so that the flange-shaped junctions 6, 6Aare formed. Thus, the thinned edge portions 7, 7A gradually decreasingin thickness from the six side edges of the cushion body 2 are formed bythe flank-shaped junctions 6, and 6A.

[0077] The cushion body 2A is formed slightly larger than a user'sspecific body portion to which the body support assembly is fitted suchthat the cushion body 2A can hold the user's specific body portion in amanner enfolding from both the left and right sides thereof to therebyenable an extremely comfortable supporting effect to be obtained.Alternatively, cut portions 53 of the cover body 3 corresponding to theaforesaid cut corner portions 51 of the cushion body 2A may be formed bycarrying out the cutting in advance of the forming of the flange-shapedjunction 6. Otherwise, the cut portions 53 may be formed by carrying outthe cutting, corresponding to a final shape of the flange-shapedjunction 6A after preliminarily forming the flange-shaped junction 6Aand then finishing the same together with the upper and the lower endportions 31A, 31B.

[0078] For the body support assembly 1A as described above, the samecushion body and the cover body as those in the above-mentionedembodiment can be used, which are hermetically picked in amoisture-proof bag, for storage and transport for future use. The bodysupport assembly 1A of the present embodiment can be arranged and usedin the retaining portion 13 provided in the seat cover 12 that isattached to cover the seat 11 of cars or the like, as shown in FIG. 17,like the foregoing embodiments.

[0079] Then, the behavior of the above-described support assembly isdescribed. The body support assembly 1A can be used basically in thesame way as in the above-mentioned embodiment.

[0080] First, the body support assembly 1A is taken out of themoisture-proof bag (not shown). After immersing the body supportassembly 1A in water or adding water to the cover body 3, excessivewater is wiped up. Thus, the curing resin with which the cover body 3 isimpregnated begins to be cured. Then, the fastener of the seat cover 12(the backrest cover 12A) that is attached to cover the backrest 11A ofthe sheet 11 is opened and then the body support assembly 1A of thepresent embodiment, which is long sideways and in an erect posture, isinserted into the retaining portion 13 to be held thereby, with theoverlapped portion (not shown) being positioned rearward, and then thefastener is closed. Thus, the through-holes 52 as well as the overlappedportion of the cover body 3 are arranged vertically in the nearly thecenter of the seat 11.

[0081] Subsequently, when the user presses and deforms the body supportassembly 1A while sitting, the cover body 3 is solidified in a shortperiod of time (three to five minutes) to retain a resultant shape thuspressed and deformed, so that the cushion body 2A is kept to suchdeformed shape owing to the solidified layer (the cover body 3). At thattime, as the body support assembly 1A is designed so as to be wider thanthe user's corresponding body, the cushion body 2A is largely compressedin its center portion as shown in FIG. 14, thus holding the user's bodyso as to enfold the user's body from left and right sides. At thismoment, whilst the overlapped portion is relatively so hard that it isapt to cause discomfort due to the cured cover body 3 being overlappedthere, such discomfort is drastically reduced in the present embodiment,because the overlapped portion is positioned rearward. Furthermore, asthe overlapped portion is arranged in an erect posture in nearly thecenter of the seat 11, such discomfort is reduced further as theoverlapped portion is substantially aligned with the user's spine.Specifically in the present embodiment, the oval through-holes 52 arealigned vertically, corresponding to the overlapped portion, so that thecenter portion is more easily dented, thus counteracting the increase inthickness caused by the overlapped portion, owing to the through-holes52, thereby eliminating the discomfort caused by the same. It is notedthat irregular portions such as bunchy portions or corrugated unevenportions are prone to be produced in the upper edge portion of the coverbody 3 in associations with the compression of the cushion body 2,According to the present invention, however, the thinned edge portions7, 7A are formed in the upper and the lower portions of the body supportassembly 1A, thus leading to the smooth deformation of the cover body 3as described in the foregoing embodiments, so that such irregularportions are hardly produced.

[0082] When the user takes the seat and puts on the seat belt B afterthe attachment of the body support assembly 1A thereto, it is lesslikely to be caught in the corners of the body support assembly 1A whenbuckling up, owing to the cut corners 51 provided at the four corners,respectively. Particularly, as the cut corner 51 is provided at all(i.e. four) the corners, the body support assembly 1A can be attachedwithout paying any attention to where such cut corner 5 is formed.

[0083] As discussed above, the body support assembly 1A of the presentembodiment comprises the flexible cushion body 2A covered with thesheet-shaped cover body 3 impregnated with the curing resin, which isabutted against the portion of the users body to be deformed to theshape matching the portion of the user's body, and then curing the coverbody 3 to be used as a body support, wherein the cushion body 2Aincludes the cut corner 51 obtained by cutting at least one corner ofthe nearly rectangular parallelepiped body with respect to a rectangularplane. Thus, the seat belt B is prevented from being caught in thecorners when crossing the same, by attaching the body support assembly1A to the seat 11 so that the cut corner 51 may be positioned oppositeto where the seat belt is buckled. Specifically, as the cushion body 2Ais shaped by cutting the four corners of a nearly rectangularparallelepiped body with respect to a rectangular plane to provide thefour cut corners 51, a setting direction of the body support assembly 1Adoes not need to be considered with respect to a proper position to hookthe seat belt and thus convenience in use is improved.

[0084] Moreover, since the sheet-shaped cover body 3 includes the cutportions 53 which are cut, corresponding to the cut corner portions 51of the cushion body 2A, the sheet-shaped cover body 3 is free fromredundant portions at the cut corners, so that the seat belt is notcaught therein when the scat belt B is slantwise put on. Besides, bothends of the sheet-shaped cover body 3 are overlapped on each other toform the overlapped portion to be joined together and the overlappedportion is arranged in one side of the cushion body 2, so that bypositioning the overlapped portion in an opposite side to the user'sback, the uncomfortable feeling resulting from the overlapped portion ofthe sheet-shaped cover body 3 can be reduced to a large degree.Specifically, by arranging the overlapped portion in nearly, the centerportion of one side thereof, the overlapped portion touches the centerportion of the backside, so that the uncomfortable feeling can bereduced further. Furthermore, since the through-holes 52 are formed nearthe center portion of the cushion body 2, the center portion of thebackside is easily dented to increase comfortable wearing feelingfurther. Furthermore, since the overlapped portion of the sheet-shapedcover body 3 is arranged in nearly the center thereof, the increment ofthickness resulting from the overlapped portion is reduced by thethrough-holes 52, thus substantially eliminating the uncomfortablefeeling. More specifically, in the present embodiment, since the thinnededge portion 7 is formed in one side edge portion and the other sideedge portion of the sheet-shaped cover body 3, the upper edge of thecover body 3 that is to become a free end is subjected to smoothdeformation and curing even though the cushion body 2 is compressed anddeformed, so that irregular portions are less likely to be caused by thecover body 3, thus making the body support assembly 1A free from wearingdiscomfort still further. By forming the thinned edge portions 7,7A atboth edges of the cushion body 2, no direction needs to be consideredwith respect to the thinned edge portion as well.

[0085] The present invention should not be limited to the foregoingembodiments, but may be modified within the scope of the invention. Forexample, the body support assembly of the fifth embodiment may bemodified to form the cut corner 51A and a cut section 52A, asillustrated in broken line in FIG. 10. Alternatively, a cut corner maybe formed at each of the four corners in FIG. 10. Through-holes 52 maybe formed in the cushion body 2 in the body support assembly of thefirst to fourth embodiments.

1. A body support assembly comprising a flexible cushion body coveredwith a sheet-shaped cover body impregnated with a curing resin, saidcushion body being abutted against a user's body to thereby be deformedin a shape matching the user's body and then said cover body being curedto be used as a body support assembly, wherein a thinned edge portion isformed at least in an edge portion at one side of said cover body, saidthinned edge portion corresponding to a portion that is to be deformedby being abutted against a portion of the user's body, and said coverbody formed with the said thinned edge portion being cured.
 2. A bodysupport assembly according to claim 1, wherein said thinned edge portionincludes a flange-shaped junction formed by joining one side fake of thecover body for covering one surface of the cushion body to the otherside face thereof for covering the other surface of the cushion body, inan edge portion at one side of the cover body.
 3. A body supportassembly according to claim 1, wherein said thinned edge portion isformed at least at one side of said body support assembly in a verticaldirection.
 4. A body support assembly according to claim 2, wherein saidcushion body is covered with one sheet of said cover body in a mannerenfolded from one side of the cushion body so that said thinned edgeportion is formed by joining both ends of the one-sheet cover body toeach other to form said flange-shaped junction.
 5. A body supportassembly according to claim 2, wherein said cushion body is covered withtwo-sheet cover bodies, one sheet cover body covering one surface of thecushion body and the other sheet cover body covering the other surfacethereof, such that the thinned edge portions are formed by joining bothopposite ends of the two-sheet cover bodies to form the flange-shapedjunction on both sides.
 6. A body support assembly according to claim 2,wherein said flange-shaped junction is formed by joining the ends of thecover body by clipping means.
 7. A body support assembly comprising aflexible cushion body covered with a sheet-shaped cover body impregnatedwith a curing resin, said flexible cushion body being abutted against aportion of a user's body to be deformed in a shape matching the portionof the user's body, and then said cover body being cured to be used as abody support, wherein a thinned edge portion is formed at least in oneedge at one side of said sheet-shaped cover body, said thinned edgeportion corresponding to a portion that is to be deformed by beingabutted against the portion of the user's body, and said cover bodyformed with the said thinned edge portion being cured, while both endsof the sheet-shaped cover body are overlapped to each other to form anoverlapped portion, said overlapped portion being arranged on onesurface of said cushion body.
 8. A body support assembly comprising aflexible cushion body covered with a sheet-shaped cover body impregnatedwith a curing resin, said flexible cushion body being abutted against aportion of a user's body to be deformed in a shape matching the portionof the user's body, and then said cover body being cured to be used as abody support, wherein said cushion body has such a shape that at leastone corner of a nearly rectangular parallelepiped body is cut withrespect to a rectangular plane.
 9. A body support assembly according toclaim 8, wherein said cushion body is shaped by cutting four corners ofthe nearly rectangular parallelepiped body.
 10. A body support assemblyaccording to claim 8, wherein a corner of said sheet-shaped cover bodyis cut corresponding to the cut corner of said cushion body.
 11. A bodysupport assembly according to claim 8, wherein both ends of saidsheet-shaped cover body are joined by overlapping both the ends to eachother to form an overlapped portion, said overlapped portion beingarranged on one surface of said cushion body.
 12. A body supportassembly according to claim 8, wherein a thinned edge portion is formedat least in an edge at one side of said cushion body.
 13. A body supportassembly according to claim 7, wherein through-holes are formed in anapproximately central portion of said cushion body.